Technology of Organ Donation

If you are a patient who has just been told that you are going to need an organ transplant, you need not feel scared. Medical advances and the use of technology have made organ transplantation less complicated with better outcomes than even four years ago. The increased use of technology has improved both the allocation of organs as well as organ transplantation itself.

Donor Matching Systems

• If you have been placed on a hospital's waiting list for an organ then you are automatically registered with the UNOS Organ Center. This main computer network was developed to streamline possible donors with recipients by connecting all organ procurement organizations (OPO) and transplant centers. This center is monitored 24 hours a day; 365 days of the year. All tissue typing laboratories, OPOs and transplant centers participate in the organ-sharing process. Religion, ethnicity, financial status or gender are not part of this computer matching system. If you would like further information go to the UNOS website.

The Emory Algorithm

• This algorithm has revolutionized how highly sensitized patients receiving a kidney are matched to a donor. Based on the same guidelines as other organ transplants, this algorithm can accurately determine which patient on the list is most compatible with the donor. It equalizes the playing field in that everyone on the list is considered but only the very best match receives it. This allows a more successful transplant with fewer rejections of the donor kidney.

Organ Care System

• A device that shows great promise in organ transplants is called the Organ Care System. This system has been approved for use in Europe and is in clinical trials in the United States. This technology simulates the human body and allows the organ in question to function normally while in transport. This new system could reduce doctors' concern and the race for time since the heart, for example, arrives warm, full of oxygen and already pumping. You can find more information on this system by going to the Transmedics web site.

Allomap Blood Test

• A promising experimental procedure is being tested now on heart patients in the United States. When a recipient receives a heart there is always a chance of rejection, so doctors monitor recipients by biopsying the transplanted heart. Soon that procedure may not have to be performed at all. The Allomap Blood Test can get the same results while at the same time telling doctors whether the patient is rejecting the transplant or not. It is much easier on patients and doctors since patients can be thousands of miles away from the transplant center and their doctor can still monitor their health. This test may eliminate the need for biopsies in the future.

IVIG

• If you have been told that you are too sensitized to have a successful transplant there may be hope for you, too. A patient becomes too sensitized when her antibody count is too high which can lead to organ rejection. IVIG is a transfusion used to calm the immune system and reduce the number of antibodies. This keeps a higher percentage of people from rejecting the new transplant. You can find more information on this advance by contacting the National Foundation for Transplants.